They Let Just Anyone In With a Camera

This is what happens when people have a week off from work......

This is so in my Blog

MEMO

To: Chezcopa
From: Adam Levy, MA (that's master of awesomeness)
Re: WODS

Until further notice, WODS are officially retired. We've covered all the big ones (my personal favorite being testaphile). Instead, we'll put HIMYM quotes in our gchat messages. Failure to do so will result in lack of awesomeness.

Conformity: It's the one who's different that gets left out in the cold.

And a reminder, as we approach the holiday season: It's thanksgiving, not thankstaking, damn.

From your favorite volunteer of the year,

Adam Levy, MA

Birdie's Got Moves

This is a classic copa candidate!

http://birdloversonly.blogspot.com/2007/09/may-i-have-this-dance.html

Jen's Less Famous Dopplegangers

Did anyone tell you, you look like someone famous? Try yours out at myheritage.com

And Now a Lesson in Monkey Fighting

But sadly not from Dane Cook.

I saw this article on Slate and thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't your best friends like to know how to survive a monkey attack?" and then I responded, "Yes, self, they would. We should post this on the blog."

So the next time you all want to pull a Dane Cook and have a pet monkey at home to battle, now you've got the upper hand... and the opposable thumb!

How To Fight Monkeys

What should you do if you're surrounded by angry macaques?

By Michelle Tsai
Posted Monday, Oct. 22, 2007, at 6:59 PM ET

---

The deputy mayor of New Delhi, India, fell off his balcony and died Sunday after being attacked by monkeys, his family members say. The city has around 10,000 monkeys, some of which have taken to roaming through government buildings as they steal food and rip apart documents. What should you do if monkeys are picking on you?

It's like Mom said about muggers: Just give 'em what they want. When monkeys get aggressive, it's usually because they think you have something to eat. According to one study, about three-quarters of all the aggressive interactions between long-tailed macaques and tourists at Bali's Padangtegal Monkey Forest involved food. If you are holding a snack, throw it in their direction, and they'll stop bothering you. If you don't have any food, hold out your open palms to show you're not carrying a tasty treat or back away from the monkeys without showing fear. To diffuse the situation, don't make eye contact or smile with your teeth showing—in the nonhuman primate world, these are almost always signs of aggression.

Monkey attacks are extremely rare in the wild; the creatures tend to be scared of us and often scamper away when a person gets within 100 feet. As monkeys lose their habitats around the world, though, they've started to live in closer proximity to humans, and that causes conflict.

Aggressive city monkeys will give you lots of warnings before an actual fight breaks out. First, the animals will look at you in the eyes, open their mouths, and bare their teeth. Rhesus macaques, the aggressive monkeys that cause a lot of the trouble in Delhi, will then warn you with a grunt. Next, they might fake a lunge toward you; this often causes a victim to lose his balance. If you're still withholding food, they'll grab at your knees and legs, and put their mouths on you so that you can feel their teeth. Finally, if you still won't cooperate, they'll sink their canines into you. The study in Bali found that most macaque bites don't break the skin, but a wound could allow transmission of herpes B, which can be fatal to humans. Baboons, which sometimes attack humans in Africa, are much more dangerous: They're bigger and less predictable, and they're armed with 3-inch-long canines. Last year, a South African man's forearms were ripped to the bone, and doctors dug out a baboon tooth during surgery.

What if you can't or won't appease the monkeys with food? You can try to chase them off by shaking a stick at them, but they might get violent if cornered. If they don't budge, bop 'em on the head; visitors to temples in India sometimes carry a stick for just this reason. Primatologists will sometimes send a macaque warning signal called the open-mouth threat. Basically, form an "O" with your mouth, lean toward them with your body and head, and raise your eyebrows. Female victims might seek protection in a group of men, since monkeys are somewhat afraid of males. But whatever you do, don't freak out; those who scream, wave their arms, and run away are only going to make the macaques even more aggressive.

Despite all the monkey business, Delhi has refused to cull the macaques, which are sacred because of the Hindu reverence for Hanuman, the monkey god. Instead, the government has relocated some of the troublemakers and even brought in langurs, a mellower but larger monkey, to scare off the smaller macaques.

Got a question about today's news? Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Agustin Fuentes of University of Notre Dame, Melissa Gerald and Janis Gonzalez of the Caribbean Primate Research Center, Andreas Koenig of Stony Brook University, and Dario Maestripieri, author of Macachiavellian Intelligence: How Rhesus Macaques and Humans Have Conquered the World.

Michelle Tsai is a writer living in Jersey City, N.J.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2176419/

Copyright 2007 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC

Related in Slate:

Daniel Engber explained how to buy monkeys and whether it's a good idea to punch a shark. He also investigated the Crocodile Hunter's death by stingray. Steven E. Landsburg asked if we should peel bananas from the bottom up. David Edelstein reviewed King Kong as a spectacular three-hankie tragic love story. Eliza Griswold called India's Hindu paramilitary youth movement the monkey god's army.

Because I Love America!

You might have already seen this video, but it's worth playing again... if you love America, that is.

Love Me Just The Way I Are

Who needs pomegranate extract when you can marry the fountain of youth (and mortality apparently)

Love,
Adam

P.s I thought you promised me a young newroom buck ..... I'd like to redeem the offer so I don't have to fish in this woman's sea!

Brokeback by the Bell...

Yeah, I went there. I'm so sorry to have to ruin Saved by the Bell for you guys...

Hit Me Baby One More Time!

This just in, Brit Brit is attacking paparazzi?!?

Britney Spears appears to hit paparazzo

It might just be Britney Spears' latest hit.

Hours after losing visitation rights with her two young sons, the struggling pop star apparently ran over the foot of a photographer for celebrity Web site TMZ.com. Spears was driving away from a Beverly Hills medical building, her car surrounded by photographers, when the incident occurred about 5 p.m. Thursday.

Messages left with her attorney weren't immediately returned.

Video posted on the Hollywood.TV Web site shows elements of the incident but not the tire rolling over the cameraman's foot.

The video shows Spears beginning to pull out of the structure when her car is surrounded by more than a dozen photographers. The car comes to a stop.

Spears honks and the car lurches forward a few feet. Shouting is heard, and the camera jerks around as fellow photographers appear to help a man up.

Spears drives off and seconds later video shows what appears to be a tire mark on the photographer's sock. The man, wearing sandals with white socks, doesn't respond to questions from the others as he walks away, apparently unhurt.

TMZ producer Gillian Sheldon confirmed Friday that the photographer was employed by the Web site. She said there were no plans to file a police report. In a statement released by TMZ, the photographer indicated he wasn't angry.

"Things happen at certain times and she was just a little impatient," said the man, whose name wasn't released. "She got a little impatient for whatever reason. I say let bygones be bygones."

Earlier Thursday, Spears, 25, learned she can no longer visit her two preschool-age sons, who are in the custody of ex-husband Kevin Federline, until she complies with an order from Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.

Gordon's ruling didn't spell out what directives Spears had defied, but a hearing was scheduled for Oct. 26.

Spears faces charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license as the result of an Aug. 6 parking lot mishap.

In that incident, paparazzi photographed Spears steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to park in a space in a Studio City lot. The video showed her walking away after assessing the damage to her own car.

CLICK HERE for the video!

100% All-American Man Beef

I heart Barats & Bereta... and so when I came across this MANtage of 100% All-American Man Beef, I had to share the sheer volume of testosterone-packed footage with my friends. Enjoy!

Check the Report for the lastest Verbal Dystentary

Check out this Wahine: Ann Coulter finally eats.........her words that is

This Just In: Al Gore Wins a Nobel Peace Prize

Yeahhhh!! Go Al!

Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 on Friday to former US Vice President Al Gore and the United Nations' climate panel, citing the importance of battling global warming.

Ole D Mjøs, leader of the committee that's appointed by the Norwegian Parliament to award the Peace Prize, said the prize was to be awarded in two equal parts to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Gore.

Mjøs said the Norwegian Nobel Committee wanted to further strengthen the focus on the importance of battling climate change by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Gore and the IPCC, which is led by Rajendra Pachauri.

This year's winners beat out a long list of candidates around which speculation had swirled for weeks. Included among them were human rights champions including Irena Sendler of Poland, who saved 2,500 Jewish children during World War II and Thich Quang Do, a Buddhist monk in Vietnam. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari also has been a longtime candidate because of his peace-broking efforts in the Aceh conflict in Indonesia.

Although the Nobel Committee doesn't reveal nominees, it's also believed that the Salvation Army has been a longtime candidate for the Peace Prize. All told, 181 candidates were nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, including 46 organizations.

The prize itself, which carries a cash award of SEK 10 million (about USD 1.7 million), will be awarded in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of industrialist Alfred Nobel’s death. He set up the prizes and arranged for their funding through the terms of his will.

While the other Nobel prizes are awarded in Stockholm, capital of Nobel's native Sweden, he decreed that the Peace Prize be awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament. Norway and Sweden were in a political union at the time.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is made up of five persons, mostly former politicians, who reflect the elected make-up of the Norwegian Parliament. Current members include Mjøs, a professor and former head of the University in Tromsø; Berge Ragnar Furre, a historian and theology professor at the University of Oslo who represented the Socialist Left party in parliament from 1973-77; Sissel Rønbeck, a member of parliament from 1977-93 from the Labour Party; Inger-Marie Ytterhorn, political adviser to the Progress Party and a member of parliament from 1989-93; and Kaci Kullmann Five, a former trade minister and member of parliament for the Conservatives from 1981-97.

Senator Craig, You Go Make Your Alma Mater Proud

...Kind of. Well, okay, not really. Not at all. Not even a little bit. Seriously?

Спутник днем рождения!

Happy 50th Birthday* Sputnik!
On this day in 1957, Sputnik was launched into space by the Commies.
*Sputnik is probably quite older than 50, however this day marks the fiftieth anniversary of Sputnik's launch into space therefore I thought it appropriate to consider this day a "birthday" of sorts.

Sputnik changed everything

• Story Highlights
• Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, 1957
  
• Satellite launched space race, raised fears of war from space
  
• Instead, satellites used for TV, communication other peaceful purposes
  
• Historian: Satellites led to more openness, undermined Soviet state
  

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With a series of small beeps from a spiky globe 50 years ago Thursday, the world shrank and humanity's view of Earth and the cosmos expanded.

Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, was launched by the Soviets and circled the globe October 4, 1957. The Space Age was born. And what followed were changes to everyday life that people now take for granted.

What we see on television, how we communicate with each other, and how we pay for what we buy have all changed with the birth of satellites.

Communications satellites helped bring wars and celebrations from thousands of miles away into our living rooms. When we go outside, weather satellites show us whether we need to carry an umbrella or flee a hurricane. And global positioning system satellites even keep us from getting lost on unfamiliar streets.

Sputnik gave birth to more than mere technology. The threat of a Soviet-dominated space spurred the U.S. government to increase tenfold money spent on science, education and research. Satellite pictures of Earth inspired an embryonic environmental movement. Watch why Sputnik inspired fear and awe »

Spy and communications satellites also kept the world at relative peace, experts say. Just last week, scientists used commercial satellite images to document human rights violations in Myanmar.

When Sputnik was launched, the public thought a space future would consist of gigantic space stations and colonies on the moon and other planets. The fear was warfare in space raining down on Earth. Explainer: Earth's first artificial moon »

"The reality is that the things we expected did not come to pass, and the things that we did not fathom changed our lives in so many ways that we cannot even envision a life that's different at this point," said Roger Launius, senior curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

America got a taste of that in May 1998. Just one communications satellite malfunctioned. More than 30 million pagers went silent. Credit card payment approvals didn't work. National Public Radio and CNN's Airport Television Network went off the air in some places.

"The civilization we live in today is as different from the one that we lived in the mid-1950s as the mid-1950s were from the American revolution," said Howard McCurdy, an American University public policy professor. "It's hard to imagine these things happening without space. I guess I could have a computer, but I wouldn't be able to get on the Internet."

All thanks to an 184-pound metal ball with spikes shot into space by a country that doesn't exist anymore. Timeline: Soviet firsts in the space race »

Because Sputnik was launched by a centralized communist government, people feared that space would help totalitarianism, said Georgia Tech University history professor Steve Usselman.

However, satellites "clearly undermined state authority, particularly national authority," Usselman said. "It's taken us in exactly the opposite direction."

As satellites went commercial, they spurred on financial markets, opened up information to people across the globe -- which is not what centralized governments want, Usselman said.

Spy satellites also enabled countries to keep an eye on their enemies.

"Except for crazy guys in airplanes, nobody can pull off a sneak attack," McCurdy said. "I think it made the world much less dangerous than it was in 1956."

President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 said that it was thanks to satellites that "we know how many missiles the enemy has and, it turned out, our guesses were way off. We were doing things we didn't need to do. We were building things we didn't need to build. We were harboring fears we didn't need to harbor."

Weather satellites now give people an accurate view of threats from nature, as well as vastly improved everyday forecasts, said Keith Seitter of the American Meteorological Society. They save lives when hurricanes approach, giving days of notice instead of hours.

"It's very hard to be surprised these days with the kind of data we have available with satellites," Seitter said. "Certainly 50 years ago that wasn't the case."

In television, satellite communications let upstart networks like HBO, CNN and ESPN develop and feed cable systems via satellite. That brought world events live to people around the globe. But it also allowed people to isolate themselves with niche channels, Usselman said.

Henry Lambright, a professor at Syracuse University, said satellites have had practical benefits, but "the more important benefits are looking at Earth as a whole and looking outward at Earth in the cosmos."

Initial pictures of Earth from space, especially Apollo images from the moon, were embraced by an environmental movement to show how fragile the planet is.

The orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and others have given people views of the universe that not only go trillions of miles away, but billions of years back in time.

"The launch of Sputnik actually triggered heightened interest among the American people, not only in space, but in science, mathematics and education," said White House science adviser John Marburger. "It also opened up people's eyes to the possibility that space could actually be used for something."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Public Service Annoucement

October resolution: to overcome my blogaphobia. Enjoy!

Apparently I Really Am Ten...

So Google sends me emails whenever my likeness is published somewhere online. Today I received an update informing me that I am, in fact, actually ten years old... and living in Salem, Massachusetts. Oh yeah, and my mother, Ellen, broke her nose playing softball.

Softball-playing moms have a good time on the field

By Amanda McGregor, Staff Writer
The Salem News

BEVERLY | Elbows, knees and ankles were among the casualties of the annual Beverly Mom Ball softball tournament | but nothing could sideline local mothers from having a good time.

Michelle Curreri caught a ball that ended an inning, and was so excited that she lunged into a celebratory cartwheel. She was still wearing her baseball glove, however, and twisted her elbow, which was swollen and resting in a sling packed with ice.

"I'm just mad because I wanted to play today," said Curreri, who stood in the dugout yesterday cheering on her fellow Centerville Elementary School moms. "It's just so much fun."

Curreri was among 185 mothers who played in the eighth annual Mom Ball tournament, which drew the largest crowds and best weather in the history of the event, said tournament coordinator Trish Pinciaro.

"It's been an unbelievable weekend," Pinciaro said.

Mothers from 11 schools played throughout the weekend, from Friday to yesterday, at the Harry Ball Field in Beverly, to raise money for the Beverly Education Foundation and other local causes.

Mary Moulton stood on a pair of crutches yesterday afternoon wearing a large knee brace. Moulton plays catcher for the St. John's School team, and she broke her fibula | the bone on the outside of her left knee | Saturday morning when a baserunner collided with her by home plate. She'll need surgery this week, but that didn't weigh her down yesterday as she watched her team win game after game.

"We did everything we could to get out of the ER quickly," Moulton said. "We left (Beverly Hospital) at 12:30 and got back for the 1 o'clock game."

Spirits ran high throughout Harry Ball Field, where mothers cheered each other on, and their families lined the fences outside the field.

Julia Koenig, 8, wore a beaver costume in honor of Centerville School's mascot, Bucky the Beaver. She and a group of other Centerville students tirelessly belted out cheers.

"When I say 'Boogie!' you say 'Down!" the group chanted in unison. "Boogie, down! Boogie, down!"

"My mom broke her nose," Katie Santo, 10, said proudly of her mother, Ellen, whose injury sidelined her from playing for her Centerville team. "She was hit with a ball, at practice last Friday."

In honor of Ellen Santo's broken nose, the team held up a cutout of the beaver mascot with gauze and medical tape affixed to his nose | evidence of the fun and sportsmanship that defines the Mom Ball tournament.

"The camaraderie of the moms, and just getting the whole Beverly community together for the weekend is amazing," Pinciaro said.

"This is my absolute favorite weekend of the year," said Moulton, despite the serious knee injury. "My favorite thing is that the dads are behind the backstop, the kids are running around, and it's just girlfriends out on the field having fun and hanging out."

The event usually raises $6,000 to $7,000, through a $20 registration fee per player, and proceeds from the concession stand.

This year, the Mom Ball tournament's proceeds will benefit the Beverly Education Foundation, Star House in Beverly for abused children, the Beverly High School Volleyball Team, and the family of Lori Russo | a mother at the Hannah School who passed away from breast cancer in September.

There was also a food drive at the tournament for Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry, as well as a 50/50 raffle fundraiser for the Beverly High girls softball team.

"It's just a great weekend for us because we're all together and it's for a good cause," said Maura Lewis, captain of the North Beverly Elementary School team for the last seven years. "And we made a triple play this year | that was a first!"

The women practice for about a month and a half before the tournament, depending on the team, and many of the moms come back year after year.

"It's too much fun to miss," said pitcher Margaret Wilder, who has played on the St. John's team for six years. "I woke up sore this morning. It must be age," she said with a laugh yesterday afternoon.

Julie Corcoran, who had her seventh child earlier this year, was back on the field | with her baby on the sidelines.

"It's a lot of fun and it's been a great way to meet other mothers from around the city," said Corcoran, who has played for the St. Mary's team for five years.

Sixty volunteers helped run this year's Mom Ball tournament, along with 12 umpires who volunteered for the entire weekend of games. The Beverly Recreation Department sponsors Mom Ball, along with various local businesses, according to Pinciaro.

After five years as tournament organizer, Pinciaro will be passing the torch to Anne Flaherty.

"It's been a lot of fun, but it's a lot of work," said Pinciaro, who walked around the field yesterday checking on everyone, fielding calls on her cell phone, and making sure the concession stand was stocked. "I've been to BJs five times. I've gotten so much food this year, it's been unbelievable."

---

Here's to the winners

Semifinals
Hannah 7, St. John's 6

Finals
St. Mary's 8, Hannah 3

The 11 schools in Beverly that play in the Mom Ball tournament are: Ayers, Beverly High, Beverly High alumni (moms whose children graduated, but still want to play), Centerville, Cove, North Beverly, Hannah, McKeown, Briscoe Middle School, St. John's and St. Mary's.

So Easy, Even A Father Can Do It!

So our WOD (Word of the Day) Challenge is so fabulous, its spreading outside the copa...Check out my dads:

matt richer
WOD: Hallass : to board an airplane and fly to San Diego to see one's family that you have been neglecting.

You're so clever dad!

Dave Asks The Hard Questions

Oops, She Did It Again... For the Last Time

THIS JUST IN, BRITNEY SPEARS HAS LOST CUSTODY OF HER TWO CHILDREN.

KEVIN FEDERLINE WILL RETAIN CUSTODY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Orwell Online

October 1, 2007 6:56 AM PDT

Pinch yourself: Facebook to 'group' friends

Posted by Caroline McCarthy

It hasn't happened yet, nor is there a timeline for it, but Facebook has stated that it's working on allowing its members to "organize that long list of friends into groups so you can decide more specifically who sees what." No formal announcement was made, but you can see the little tidbit--along with something about forthcoming "daily digest" e-mail options--on the What's New on Facebook page. It looks like TechCrunch was the first to spot this.

"Friend grouping" is a move that, unless the company really screws it up, Facebook members are very likely to applaud.

Technically speaking, it's hardly revolutionary. The Six Apart-owned blogging pioneer LiveJournal, for example, has allowed the simple creation of "custom friend groups" for years. But what you have to understand about Facebook is that millions of young "early adopters" signed up with the (not particularly forward-thinking) expectation that the only people who'd be seeing their profiles were their college friends and other contemporaries.

Several years later, many of those then-college students are now young professionals; Facebook's new open-registration policy has allowed their colleagues and relatives to create accounts; and there are a whole lot of St. Patrick's Day Keg Race photos circa 2004 (and office happy-hour photos circa 2007) that perhaps those members don't want their bosses or parents to be seeing.

Presumably, if Facebook members are able to sort their contacts into custom groups, they'll be able to display varying degrees of profile data to those groups. That way, for example, your boss might only be able to see your profile photograph and work information, whereas your college buddies would be able to keep reminiscing about the old days with those St. Patrick's Day snapshots.

This will put Facebook even further ahead of "openness"-advocating rivals like Plaxo Pulse, which lets members group their contacts into "friends," "family" and "work" but doesn't allow any custom functionality.